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“We need to go to Salt Lake City to see this guy.”
“Not right now, Cat,” she replied and got out of the car.
“What do you mean, not right now? You don’t have any time to spare. You need a new partner.”
“Right now, I need a hot bath. Then, I’m putting ice on my ass because I hit it hard, and you haven’t even asked me once if I’m okay after getting dropped out there, or how I’m feeling about Walker getting hurt and maybe losing my chance to finally make the team I’ve been trying to get on my entire life.”
Catalina joined her at the sliding glass doors to the hotel lobby and said, “I told you I’m being your coach right now, not your sister.”
“Well, be my sister right now, then. I can’t think about flying to Salt Lake or Minnesota.”
“It was Milwaukee, not Minnesota.”
“Wherever. I can’t think about going there or anywhere else right now. Tomorrow? Maybe. But not tonight. I need food, ice, and sleep.”
“Fine. I’ll have something sent up to your room. But I have to keep searching. Call it coach mode, if you want, but it’s my job.”
“That Mom and Dad pay you for. It’s not like you’re going to get fired.” Chandler walked through the doors.
“Hey, why are you being such a bitch right now?” Cat followed her inside.
“Because tonight was one of my last chances to show up and maybe get a shot. Instead, Walker, who never drops me even in training, dropped me on my ass, and I looked ridiculous out there. He’s the best pairs skater in the US – maybe in the whole world right now – and even he can’t help me get to the Olympics. So, I need to drown my sorrows in a bubble bath and a glass of wine and think about what I’m doing here, Cat.”
“What are you talking about?”
“I’m twenty-six. I’m older than everyone else here, and it still hasn’t happened for me. Maybe it’s not meant to, and I just need to realize that. Can I take the elevator up alone?” she asked as she pressed the button. “You can do whatever you need to do tonight, but I need to not be around anyone right now.”
“Fine. Yeah,” Catalina replied just as the elevator arrived.
Chandler got inside, pressed the button for the fifth floor of the very nice hotel that her parents also paid for, and after the elevator arrived at its destination, she walked down the hallway to her room. Once inside, she breathed a sigh of relief and immediately found the room service menu next to the phone. Wishing she could order three desserts as her dinner instead, she went for the grilled chicken with a vegetable medley, a bottle of sparkling water, and a red wine she’d never tried before.
They told her it would be about forty-five minutes, so she started a bath, adding her favorite bubble bath that she brought everywhere with her to remind her of home, and waited for the water to fill up enough to get in. Her phone buzzed, and she expected it to be Catalina telling her that she’d already found her a new partner, because it would be too soon for Walker to know anything about his ankle. It wasn’t, though. It was a notification from her news app that was one of her favorite things because it allowed her to tailor the kind of news she wanted to read, so she’d been able to select news about sports and the Olympics, specifically. Chandler sat on the end of the bed and read the article the notification had told her about because it had caught her eye.
After Skate Canada began allowing same-gender pairings for both pairs skating and pairs ice dancing, US Figure Skating has decided to follow suit and will allow same-gender pairs to skate and perform together in all competitions moving forward. While same-gender pairing is still not a recognized event by the International Olympic Committee, it is something that US Figure Skating will allow at all future events in the junior and senior levels of competition, including nationals. It is possible that in the coming years, the Olympics will also begin to allow same-gender pairing for figure skating.
Chandler looked up from her phone for a moment before glancing back down to finish the article, which mentioned that they’d be accepting same-gender pairs in all events beginning with the next major one moving forward, and she had an idea. It was a ridiculous idea, but it was still an idea. Her sister would hate it. Her parents might not want to pay for it, but maybe, just maybe, something like this could help get her noticed in a different way. She’d heard rumblings about them heading this direction ever since Canada had started to allow it, but she hadn’t been sure the US would ever allow same-gender pairs to compete at any level. Now, it was happening, and as Chandler slipped into the tub beneath the lavender-scented bubbles, she thought more about the idea.
“What if I don’t look for a male partner but a female one?”
CHAPTER 3
“Okay. What can I get you?” Belle asked the little girl.
“Can I have some popcorn?”
“Sure, you can. I’ll grab it for you. Anything else?” she asked the girl’s mom, who was standing behind her.
“No, just that for the drive home. Better than something sugary before bed, right?”
“I can imagine, yeah,” she replied and walked back to the popcorn machine. She scooped some into the red-and-white striped container, walked back to the counter, and handed it to the little girl. “There you go.”
The girl’s mom handed Belle some cash and asked, “What do you say?”
“Thank you,” the little girl said before she stuffed a handful of popcorn into her mouth.
“You’re welcome,” Belle replied with a little laugh. “You two have a good night.”
“Thank you,” the girl’s mom said before they walked away.
